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The People of God’s Kingdom in Primeval History

1. CONNECT

   10min
   Many people today are confused about who God is and what he has done. But they are often just as confused about who people are and what they are supposed do with their lives. Sadly, this is true even of faithful Christians. In our last session, we considered the place of God’s kingdom established in Primeval History. In this session, we’ll look into the identity and service that God first established for human beings.

2. Reflection

   If you haven’t asked these questions yourself, you probably know someone who has: “Who am I?” “What am I?” “Why do I exist?” The answers we receive from the world mislead and confuse us by calling on us either to think too highly or too lowly of ourselves. The opening chapters of the Bible concentrate a lot on human beings. They establish foundational truths about people upon which every other facet of biblical faith builds. In short, these chapters reveal that we are images of God called to be the instruments by which God’s kingdom will spread to the ends of the earth.

3. Guiding Question

   What do you think your role in God’s kingdom is?

4. WATCH

   15min

5. DISCUSS

   15min
   1. God put humanity in his sacred Garden “to work it and take care of it” (Genesis 2:15, NIV). Compare this expression with the description of priests and Levites as those who “take care of … the Tent of Meeting … by doing the work of the tabernacle” (Numbers 3:8, NIV). How does this comparison help us see that the service of Adam and Eve in the Garden was priestly service of worship?
   2. In the ancient world, pharaohs, kings and emperors were often called “images” of their gods because they represented their false gods by carrying out their gods’ will on earth. But the true God of Israel didn’t call only kings and rulers his images. Read Genesis 1:26. What does this tell you about the honor God bestowed on every human being?

6. APPLY

   15min
   1. Are you ever tempted to divide the activities of your life between secular and sacred tasks? How does recognizing the priestly, worshipful character of every activity help us live out passages like Colossians 3:23?
   2. Genesis 1:27-28 reveals that God’s purpose for human beings was for them to spread the kingdom of God by filling the earth with his images and making the earth the kind of place God wants it to be. What does this description of God’s purpose for human beings say about your own purpose?
   3. In what ways are you extending God’s kingdom throughout the world today?

7. CHALLENGE

   Take some time to answer the following question: How do the daily activities of your life count as the service of a priest and a vice-regent who is fully devoted to spreading God’s kingdom throughout the world? Finish with a time of prayer.